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My burly best friend snorted and then gave a friendly pat on my shoulder. “Do you need to go piss a circle around her? Mark your territory?”
I gave him a scowl. “Like you’d be any different.”
“Probably not. But then again, I don’t get much of an opportunity, do I?”
“You could,” I told him as I looked at him. “If you chose to.”
Billy’s confident smile fell. “It’s not that easy.”
It wasn’t, and I had no right acting like I understood anything he was going through.
“Incoming.” Billy’s warning came a split second before the old woman was standing in front of us.
Her gown was dated and smelled of stale perfume, and she made my balls feel like they were crawling back up inside my body.
God, she was terrifying.
“If you’re here and the sheriff is here, who’s out there, making sure no one ransacks my garden?”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Do people regularly ransack your garden, Terri?”
“I’d like to see them try,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eye.
All righty then.
“Lucas is on duty, and we brought in backup from the mainland,” I offered as an explanation, hoping that’d be enough to make her go away.
“The mainland?” she grumbled. “A whole lotta good that’ll do.”
Terri was the kind of O’Cocker who could trace her family back to the days when Blackbeard had roamed this island. And anyone who couldn’t say the same was a dingbatter in her eyes.
“You dating the new girl?” She looked over toward Marin.
“I am,” I answered proudly. I didn’t give a shit what Terri thought of Marin.
She gave her a long, appraising look and finally nodded. “I’ve got some extra tomatoes this week. Come by and grab ’em. Bring your girl.”
And then she walked away.
“I think that was Terri’s version of approval.”
“Wasn’t sure I was asking for it.” I laughed.
“Well, you got it—and tomatoes.” Billy shrugged before adding, “Wait, can I have those? Terri’s produce is amazing.”
“Get your own damn tomatoes,” I teased.
“You know, a little gratitude wouldn’t hurt.”
It was meant in jest, but I couldn’t help but sober a bit. “You know I am though, right? Grateful?”
My eyes settled on Marin once again.
So damn grateful.
“Yeah, man, I know.”
Marin turned back, giving me a megawatt smile, and suddenly, I couldn’t be away from her any longer.
